USA-born Swede sets a pole vault world record

European champion Armand Duplantis set a pole vault world record at a World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting.

BBC reported that The USA-born Swede, 20, cleared 6.17m at the second attempt in Torun, Poland, to beat Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie’s previous mark.

Lavillenie, the 2012 Olympic champion, cleared 6.16m in February 2014.

“It’s something that I wanted since I was three years old,” said Duplantis, the 2019 world silver medallist.

“It’s a big year, but it’s a good way to start it.”

Duplantis had nearly broken the record on Tuesday.

On that occasion he brushed the bar with his arm on his second effort at 6.17m at the first Indoor Tour event of the season in Dusseldorf.

Duplantis had the runway all to himself for much of the evening as none of the other six competitors could vault higher than 5.52m and he broke the record with his sixth jump of the evening.

Duplantis, who goes by the nickname Mondo, was born in the United States but chose to represent his mother’s native country of Sweden.

He is coached by American father Greg, who was also a pole vaulter, while mother Helena is a former heptathlete and volleyball player.